Finders fee

[FLYONWALL9]

Ok, I go to a new car dealership that has yet to open hoping to get the lawn and clean up end of the contract. I was then asked "tell you what can you handle it all". Sure, I tell them. I know someone that does the irrigation and landscape. What would one charge for a finder fee for a pretty large job? Would it be a % of the total or just a flat fee. When I mean landscape, as you may know it has to meet a landscape code set forth by the city for how many trees and what size they should be. If I had to put a guess on it I would say the landscape bill would be no less than 10k perhaps more, irrigaiton I don't have a clue.

What would be your suggestion to me. I don't want to step away from the job.

[FLYONWALL9]

Thanks for your kind and professional sarcasm. Perhaps that may be the reason why you aren't given such jobs.

[Mike J]

Fly, maybe no finders fee, but more work referrals from him and from you to him. You scratch my back Ill scratch yours type of deal.

Thats the way I see it, but it is a big job.

[Sasquatch52]

I would at least try to tell the guy to give you a 10-12% break on his install price and then you pocket that. Thats how i have done it on a few landscape installs that where way to big for me to handel.

[FLYONWALL9]

Thanks guys,

Yeah we just got back from walking the property and they are going to have to put sleeves down for us to run our pipe and wire. Don't ask me how they are already laying concrete so they are already ahead of where they need to be.

The landscape part of it is rather large needing some 200 azalea's, and 30 or more trees from 2" cal to 6"cal and who knows how much sod. From what I saw today its a much larger job than what they even thought initially because the dealership at first didn't even have the landscape architects rendering approved. Now they have found that and can press on. I would be plants alone are going to be 20k

[Ric]

Fly, maybe no finders fee, but more work referrals from him and from you to him. You scratch my back Ill scratch yours type of deal.

Thats the way I see it, but it is a big job.

Mike

That what Networking is all about and the more clubs and organization you can joint will help those word of mouth referrals. I don't practice what I preach and I am not a joiner. But I do network with others in the business. I have never exchanged money for referral. However Now that I am in Fert & Squirt only I am will to pay what I call a IMP fee. This is to Lawn mowing guys who are on the properties every week when I only see it every 60 days. I ask that they call me if they see something I need to take care of. This I believe helps both of us give better service to the customer and is of economy interest to all concerned. By Networking in this way it makes us a team that provides something above and be on what each of us can do separately. However it takes a real business person to recognize the true advantage.

In the case of a really big referral I would not give a set fee but I would be sure I showed my appreciation.

[FLYONWALL9]

Thanks guys. here is a short list of the plants. We have to trade off some pines for something that wont drop sap on the cars. So this is just rough but should be within 15 or so 10ft plants. The straw is depending on how much cover they want. Kind of gives you guys an idea what I am dealing with.

Plant list

Plant totals taken from drawing not plant list on plan.

Trees

8 Drake Elm 11-13’ht 65gal.7-9’spread single trunk
10 Red Maple 12-14’ht 65gal.6-8’spread 3-3 ½”cal single trunk
28 Crepemyrtle 10-11’ht 45gal.6-7’spread ¾-1”cal 3trunk min.
Tuscarora red
2 Tree form Ligustrum 6-7’ht 30gal.5-6ft spread ¾”cal
Min. 3 trunks
3 Bald Cypress 11-13’ht 30gal 4-5’min spread full well
Branched.

*Pine trees on plant list will be exchanged*


Bedding plants

41 Aspidistra To be substuted for (too much direct sunlight)
5 Azalea 36-42”ht 7gal. 34-36” spread
Plant list shows 5 drawing shows 76 total plants
5 Cleyera 36-42”ht 7gal. 30”spread full
13 Sago Palm 18-21”ht min3gal may be larger to obtain height

3529 Evergreen giant Liriope 4” pots full plants 18”

*Bedding material pine straw*

[Mike J]

Fly, I agree thats a good size job, but the landscape co. that you refer, that is able to do jobs like that have a lot more jobs like that with grass to mow. You let them in on this one they will more than likely let you in on theres......Just a thought

Or the flip side is they are a bigger co with mowing crews as well and they snag the whole shabang.....another thing to think about.


I probably just made your decision harder...eh
Make sure you cover your bases....contracts and subs

[FLYONWALL9]

Well, I just sat down and worked the numbers looks like its a 60k job.

Figured as follows

plants, bedding materials, dirt and so forth
52,540

irrigation
7800

I have a call into another guy that I know that does all this also. I am going to see which will give me a better kickback. I suppose my better choice will be which will do me better in the area where I mostly work. The second quote that I am getting is more within my working range so its kickback may be greater in the long run.

I do see what you guys are meaning however its hard to turn such a large job over to someone and not get squat from it on the front end (car dealer term. lol)

Mike, I do see where your going in your reply and I agree that I may be better in the long run getting work from the people doing the jobs as a referrals.

All I can do is turn in the prices I'm given and see how it goes.

[texasmeat]

....

I dont know how it is in other places, but here in Texas you are expected to give 10%. That's only if the guy giving the job has done something though. If he just has some job he heard about and relays the message then it's not worth too much. But if the guy is for example: he's an irrigator and is contracted to do a large irrigation job and he recommends to the customer to hire your company to install turf and beds etc after he's done then those are the guys you kick back with the 10%. It's not so much the job, but taking care of people who recommend your business for large jobs on a routine basis. What I cant stand are the guys who try and be the middle man on everything and skim the **** out of the customer's money. You know the "landscape brokers" who dont lift a finger or own any eqipment or have any experience but can talk. They'll try and subcontract everyone out and end up costing the owner much more just because they're involved than if the customer just hired a landscaping company. When I subcontract, I dont give "deals". I tell them what it'll cost and that's that. If they want, I'm sure they can always find it cheaper but quality of work and experience go a long way in this business.

[FLYONWALL9]

TEX,

Yeah I know what you are saying. I have done most all the leg work, made copies of plans to give to different people. Did the take off lists, and proposals, walked the property measuring for beds and lawns, found all the discrepancies in the plans. Pretty much I just made up everything took it to the landscaper made plants lists and so forth. The only thing I haven't done much on was the irrigation, except for telling the property owner they had to put in chase lines and where, and tell them they needed a sep meter for irrigation. bla bla.... in your eyes is that worth 10%?

[texasmeat]

.....

10? I'd say at least 25%.Since you've done so much of the leg work, why not just subcontract out a company to do the work? That way you know it'll be done right and no one will try and weasel you out of the picture. Be very careful on subbing though. I've been burned in the past. When you show the plans to whoever, make them sign a sub contractors agreement barring them from approaching the owner for additional work within a reasonable time frame. I've had people literally smooth talking home owners before they even got out of the truck only to find myself out of that job real quick.

[GrassMaster]

I agree with Mike J on this.

Fly, maybe no finders fee, but more work referrals from him and from you to him. You scratch my back Ill scratch yours type of deal.

Thats the way I see it, but it is a big job.

Good Luck...
trying to get 10%, Which I doubt you'll ever get?

If you want that much or more I suggest you do it your self or sub it out & you run the show.

Finding a Landscaper that will send you referrals & you send the scaper some is a very good thing. One of the Best things I ever did was get a few Landscapers to refer me to their clients & not to mention all I learned from them.

In the real world trying to get a 10% or more referral from a Landscaper or about anybody is going to be very hard to do...

Networking is the way to go, milk the clients together in a 2 step process. Milking a Landscaper is not going to work very well for either of you? Think about it?

When ever someone tries to come in & take money out of my hand for virtually nothing... I stay at a distance with caution! I don't care if they DO get me work. I refer people all the time to others, I never ask for a dime but in the long run I do very well! If some one wants to put money in my hand that's fine with me.

What if you had 4 Good Well Known Landscapers giving out your Business Cards & Recommending you to maintain the properties they Landscape? How much is that worth? It's worth a lot more than 10% I don't care how big the job is!

[Ric]

GM

Yep we seem to have a lot dreamers posting here. They might be very surprised at what buying a few beers and a pat on the back can do toward bring in referrals. Commission salesmen don't make that much money off a sale when you look at the hours spend.

[Mike J]

Ok, Fly think about this. Say you get 10% on this job. Then they land a big new complex that the owner has asked them if they do any mowing but all they do is landscapes. They bring it to you and ask you if you want to do this. Hmmm, that 10% back to them is probably going to hurt a bit.